Escaping Death
by iNobody
Summary: Pain..Loss..Suffering. This is no dream.


**I've become so numb  
I can't feel you there  
Become so tired  
so much more aware  
I'm becoming this  
all I want to do  
is be more like me  
and be less like you**

**x.INTRO.x**

_He shall be born with the Nine Tails…Minato concluded._

_And he shall be called Naruto…Kushina started to cry._

_I closed my eyes. _

''_Jiriya-senpai is dead, Pain._

_Konan looked into the water far, far below the edge. _

"_Unethical…" he calmly hissed._

"_Tsunade-san won't be pleased to hear this," Konan chuckled quietly._

_And for a second there, pein, konan and I gazed right into the very spot he had died in. _

_And then we turned and made some hand signs…and vanished._

**.:Chapter I:.**

"What does socially clueless mean?" one day Sai was over Sakura's house for etiquette help. "Well…that means a person who is not that good in social conversation and manners," she explained.Naruto sat back on the couch, arms behind his head, one lazy eye opened. He chuckled.

"And why do you not like it when I call you ugly dog? I thought you told me to always tell you the truth!" Sai tilted his head.

"Shannaro…"Sakura slapped her forehead.

Ino came in, as if on cue. "OH SAI-SAN! Would you like to come to my flower shop this evening?" Sai remembered what Sakura told him a few minutes ago. _Try to be polite, and do things that would make others happy, even if you won't be happy yourself._

''That would be lovely, Ms. Beautiful.

Ino squealed and clapped her hands. Sakura had this expression on her face that made Naruto want to cry. After Ino left, Sai turned around again. "How was that, Sakura-san?" he asked.

"….." Sakura glared at him really intensely. "Hm? What'd I do?"

Sai came out with a red mark engraved on his cheek. "Ahahaha!" he laughed softly. "That Sakura-san sure gets angry easily," he smiled. After visisting Ino's flower shop, Sai had noticed the sky had begun to darken.

So he chose a nice spot on a grassy hill to lie down a bit. He lazily looked up at the clouds. The wind blew through his short, tussled hair. And he slowly began to fall asleep.

_Come back…come now…_

_Why do you not remember me?_

…_Am I only a stranger now?_

_Please…come---alone…_

_Were leaving together,_

_But still its farewell_

_And maybe well come back,_

_To earth, who can tell?_

_I guess there is no one to blame_

_Were leaving ground_

_Will things ever be the same again?_

_Sai. . ._

_Don't be afraid._

_You're still in my heart._

Sai awoke with a start. He rubbed his temples. Was that…a vision?

''Beep. ''Beep. ''Beep.

"Ugh. . ." Naruto lazily glazed his eyes over and reached out to stop his alarm clock. He apparently click the wrong button, for the whole thing froze in one high-pitched earsplitting sound.

**B**B**B**B**B**E**E**E**E**E**P**P**P**P**P.**

". . ."he took the cheap cubed alarm clock in his hands, and thrust it onto the wall. A huge fuse of electricity blew out and smoke arose. The fire-alarm sprinkler started to chime uncontrollably, and in seconds, Naruto's one story apartment became the habitat of a beluga whale. "Shit." Naruto cursed flatly.

He fell off of his bed, cracking a few mattress springs, and walked into the washroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. Plain, neon-blonde crazy hair, blue-bulgy eyes, those insufferable raging demon-fox marks. He took off his sleeping cap and opened the cabinet. His ninja career was propped up against the cabinet wall.

He picked up his headband. He wrapped it tightly around his head. He looked at the mirror again. No more plain old Naruto.

_A real ninja._

He smiled, sort of sadly. He threw off his shirt and pants and stepped under his shower-head. The water was failing to activate. He moaned. "Damn piece of crap!" he thundered as he banged his fist harshly against the steel-plated shower head. In reply to that, the water burst a stream of icy-cold water. Naruto yelped, and scrambled out, almost slipping on the leaking water.

He walked over to the main-operation unit. He switched the lever to the 'sprinkler system' off. He walked to his dreary battered curtains. Torn, slightly. He opened them with one strong pull. Dust emitted from every nook and cranny. He sneezed, and wiped his mucas on his forearm.

The sunlight streamed in. He shielded his eyes. But then again, just another insanely-hot summer morning in Konoha.

He opened his storage-closet. Almost 70 cups of instant-ramen gleamed at him. He snatched one from the top and put it in the microwave.

_Yum. . . _Naruto thought sarcastically. _My favorite food that I don't have every single day of my life._

He clicked the button ;7 minutes;

The microwave made a low humming sound. "Might as well get 7 more minutes of sleep," Naruto sighed. He was walking to his bed when all of a sudden, he opened his sliding door in shock to see none other than Sai, sitting on HIS bed, sketching furiously.

Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Have you been in here this whole time? While I was---ahem,---taking a shower?"

"Watched you scrub every last nook of your tiny penis,"

"WHY YOU---!!"

"Hm---how do you like this picture of you and Sasuke making love that I drew?" he asked innocently, adding in his fake smile.

"Real nice," Naruto rolled his eyes. He had no time to deal with Sai this morning. He was going to be assigned a new mission today! "Now if you could, would you mind getting---"he began but just then Sai jumped off of Naruto's bed and landed on his feet.

"OR PERHAPS THE FAIR MAIDEN SAKURA WOULD PLEASE YOU MORE," he added in poetic-ly.

''GET-THE-HELL-OUT-OF-MY-HOUSE!"

Old man Misu next door began whacking his cane against the wall from the other side. "NARUTO, shut up! Who in the devil's name are you talking to!?" he screeched.

''SORRY MISU-SAN.

Naruto lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. "Leave. NOW."

"No---wait, Naruto-kun. You don't get it---I'm sorry. I just want to talk." Sai's face suddenly became dead serious now.

''_Oh jeez. You two are so alike' Sai sighed._

''_Huh?' naruto asked._

''_You and my brother, I mean…' he replied._

''_He was loud, impatient, unrefined---and his peni…Well, it doesn't really matter. But still, yeah, just like you…he took anything he did with everything he had…Watching you somehow brings back memories of my…' he stopped short, a shocked expression on his face._

_Naruto raised his eyebrows, stunned to see a tear actually roll down Sai's eye._

''_I remember…! I remember what i wanted to show my brother---the picture in our dream' and for the first time ever---Sai actually began to cry._

"Yeah? So what is it?" Naruto flopped onto his bed. "I had this vision---of this certain GIRL I met a reallll long time ago," he frowned. "—and..OH I DON'T KNOW," he buried his face in his knees. He felt a pat on his shoulder.

"What's her name?"

"I forgot…she left a LONG time ago. Before my mother and father and brother were killed," Sai said.

"How was she---related to you?" Naruto questioned. "You could have almost said…she was my brother's girlfriend," Sai chuckled a bit. "They didn't go out, but they were always so close together and she was everything to him when I wasn't there."

Naruto went into deep thought.

"And one day, she just vanished."

"Strange indeed," Naruto said. "Well, let's go---," Naruto began but was cut by his door being broken open. "NARUTO!" Sakura's face was red and tears were swelling in her eyes.

"JIRIYA-SAN IS DEAD!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_I tried so hard  
And got so far  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter  
I had to fall  
To lose it all  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter_

"Is Konoha on our tails yet?" I asked Pein. "Not yet," Pein frowned. "Konan," Pein called to his partner. "Would you mind showing our newest member around?"

Konan nodded obediently. "I think I'm going to rest a bit," Pein walked to his chamber.

The lights were dark. Six tubes, 5 occupied, were sleeping soundly. Pein climbed into the empty one. Right when he lay down in the tube, another body shuffled around and got up.

**We are Pain.**

**We Live off of Suffering…**

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"NANI???" Naruto could not believe what he was hearing. "I found Tsunade-shisou dead this morning! She committed suicide!" Sakura yelled, tears rolling down her eyes.

"And what of Shizuni…her niece?" Sai asked.

"She was reported to have gone missing around the same time Jiriya's death code had arrived,"

Naruto wanted to walk to Sakura. He wanted to hold her in his arms. He wanted to tell her it was alright. But he was crying himself…

_Jiriya you old pervy hermit…_

_Why did you leave me?_

_I'm not ready to go on my own._

_You were the father I never had._

"Poor Tsunade-shisou," Sakura clutched her heart. "She lost Dan, Nawacki, Orochimaru, and now Jiriya."

Sai, however did not show any sign of sorrow. "Why do you mourn for those not related to you?"

"BECAUSE, DAMN IT! DON'T YOU GET IT SAI?" Naruto yelled, banging his fist on the table.

Sakura put her hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Sai-kun…there are special 'bonds' that we carry…and we live on the people we love," she explained.

_**Bonds…what exactly are they?**_

_**I thought I knew…but I guess I don't.**_

There was a village meeting called to order by the elders of the Leaf council. "We must anoint a new Hokage," the old man said. "Me and the Elders have thought a while about it…and we have chosen our new hokage." Naruto froze. Was this his chance to become Hokage?

"Our new Hokage is…" Naruto bit his finger so hard blood began coming out. Sakura smiled warmly at Naruto.

Oh, Naruto…this has been your dream all your life.

"the kunoichi Haruno Sakura, Tsunade-shisou's apprentice!!"

The crowd cheered and Sakura looked flabbergasted. Everyone picked Sakura up. She looked around for Naruto and saw no sign of him. The last thing she saw of him was his disappointed, nostaligic face. Sakura had torn Naruto down. She stepped on stage.

_Should I accept the offer---fulfilling the dream Tsunade-shisou wanted for me?_

_Or should I deny it---chase after Sasuke, become more close with Naruto and Sai…and be free?_

"Misu-dono, I'm afraid---I'll have to turn down the offer." She said. Everyone gasped. "I'm not the best choice…and besides…I have a friend that would love to prove himself worthy…even if it meant killing himself," She turned around. She saw Naruto running off in the woods down west. "So in my place, I request for Shikamaru Nara to take my presence!"

Sakura then ran off so fast in a blur. She grabbed Sai's arm and whispered, "It's Naruto." And they were gone. The crowd applauded as Shikamaru was forced up on stage. "How troublesome…usually, I'd be too lazy to accept the offer…but…" Shikamaru looked in the sky and smiled.

"…There's someone who's telling me to go for it."

He looked at Kurenai and smiled. She was crying.

_Asuma-sensei…please help me to become the jounin you were always hoping me to be._

The ceremony was over. Shikamaru was given the robes and he stepped off the stage. He took Kurenai by the hand and walked with her to Asuma's grave.

"He was one hell-of-a-sensei." He smiled sadly.

"And would be a great dad," Kurenai patted her womb.

And they both began to weep softly, gripping hands tightly.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Where did that damn nigger get to?" Sai asked as he bounded after Sakura, jumping from tree to tree. "Last I saw, he was heading toward the forest." She said. There was black smoke arising from the woods. "I recognize that smoke…" Sakura squinted. "Is it…?" Sai tremebled.

"Naruto's turning nine-tails…"

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Nagato?" I called out.

"I thought I told you never to call me that." A rough voice whispered.

"Ah---Pein?" I said again nervously.

"Yes?"

"Do you think I could go undercover in Konoha for a while?"

"Really now?"

"Yeah," I said, getting kind of panicky.

"Whatever for?" his tone suddenly became sickly-sweet.

"…umm, never mind." I winced. I turned around and started to walk out of his chamber.

"Do you…miss him?"

I froze.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I hissed. Then I ran out of the room.

I ran away from him. I ran out of the hideout...and I ran away from the present-me. There stood a little girl, holding the hands of a little boy…and there I was, dwelling in my cruel childhood.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"We're getting one step closer to Itachi." Sasuke announced to HEBI one day. "And we care why?" Juugo asked. "Yeah, 'leader,'" Sugeitsu said. "We all have our own goals." He hauled Zabuza's sword over his shoulder. Sasuke's eyes turned sharingan. "What I say goes---unless you want do die."

**Oh shit. He's got those murderous eyes again. **Juugo recoiled and Sugeitsu took a step back.

_OH SASUKKKKEEE! PUNCH THAT ASSHOLE'S FACE IN! _Karin giggled. "…But that damn Naruto keeps getting in the way," Sasuke said. "Isn't he like…your brother or something?"

Sasuke frowned. "No…I only have one brother---and I aim to kill him."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

**That's it for now…**

**This is meant to be a sad fanfic, so please feel free to share with me if you cried or something like that. I WANT TO KNOW! -.-**

**Please, share some ideas with me if you will and Happy Holidays!**

**P l e a s e r e v i e w **


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